By Sherman Shifflet
If you haven’t stopped by Carl’s Ice Cream in Fredericksburg, then by all means hop in your car, pick up a few friends and head in that direction. Anytime I’m in the Fredericksburg area, and even when I’m not so close, my car is programmed to take me to 2200 Princes Anne Street for the best ice cream you’ve never eaten. Don’t just take my word; ask anyone who has been there.
Saturday, April 13, was my birthday, and my friend, Ava Pippin, asked me to stop by her house near Mineral and she would treat me to dinner. She’s always doing cute, little things, and surprising me. First, she gave me a card with $77 cash when I turned 77. Then she took me to a Peruvian restaurant in Fredericksburg because I had told her I enjoyed the food when I visited Peru (Machu Picchu) with lots of chicken, corn and potatoes. Potatoes came in all colors in Peru. For dessert, she took me to Carl’s Ice Cream. Her vehicle is programmed, too. I suspected Carl’s, but I still acted surprised.
For many years Ava requested that I take her to Lowery’s Seafood Restaurant in Tappahannock for her birthday meal. That’s nearly a two-hour haul from Louisa. Of course, I also enjoy Lowery’s. But from Lowery’s, she requested dessert at Carl’s Ice Cream in Fredericksburg. That is a 50-mile stroll up Rt. 17. No problem, if that is what Ava wants, that is what Ava gets.
Carl’s is located right around the corner from James Monroe High School. I think they have been in business since the 1940’s. The facility is old, the machines are old and they serve old-fashioned custard. I’ve never been there when I didn’t have to stand in line, but the lines move quickly and the ice cream is worth the short wait.
During the early 1970’s, a teacher at Louisa County High School, Gerald Patton, told me about Carl’s. He had grown up just across the river in Stafford County. I have been a customer since then.